The Edge of Forever
by createandconstruct
Summary: "The macaroni tilts from Jughead's fork matching the angle of his curving brows. 'A teenage… excursion' Two perfectly polished fingers snap nearly an inch from the boy's nose. 'Keep those foreboding floodgates closed Cameron Frye.'" (The Sad Breakfast Club has a cross-country road trip adventure before their senior year)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Please, Please, Please (Let me Get What I Want)

* * *

 **Author Note:**

 _This is exactly what it looks like. Riverdale meets John Hughes. The nostalgia of summer time has inspired me to send these kids on a teenage movie adventure. Every chapter will be a song title (or a nod to one) that will fit the part and can be an added extra bonus if you want to listen along! A majority will be the Ferris Bueller soundtrack, but I'll throw some other jams in there too. This one is of course Please, Please, Please Let me Get What I Want cover by The Dream Academy._

 _Let me know what you think of this kind of story! This will be my major writing project over the summer. It's gonna be an adventure 3_

* * *

" _The more he looks at it – there's nothing there. He fears the more you look at him the less you see. There isn't anything there. That's him_." – John Hughes

Veronica Lodge knows life is fleeting. Things come and go. The shoes she bought last season will be worn with a hole by June. The limited time chocolate-strawberry milkshake she currently adores at Pop's will be gone with its dying popularity by next week. Though it would hardly register as a monumental loss. She would have a replacement pair in the mail along with a sip of a classically plain chocolate milkshake before either absences could sting.

Losing _things_ just didn't carry weight anymore.

There was hardly a prick of emotion when Archie danced into her end table, jostling her favorite porcelain mug to the wood floor, almost a month earlier. The mess was brushed up, the coffee wiped clean, and the mug was replaced with a sincere and adorable apology gift from her boyfriend and his two left feet. The new mug which Archie (or more likely Betty) had chosen for its decorated words on the front – " _Queen of Everything_ " – now sat safely by her bedside to avoid another living room disaster. It was inevitable, but one day, the heartwarming replacement would meet its own fate and something else would take its place.

The thought hardly bothered her now. Maybe two years ago when her summers were still spent on the family yacht, her pearls were the absolute signature of her existence, and her father was the untouchable pillar of her life, she would have shed more than a few tears over that mug.

None of that was true now. She wasn't Veronica Lodge princess of a New York pent house or Veronica Lodge only daughter of Hiram Lodge, the giver of any material treasure she desired. That Veronica was fleeting. That Veronica had been replaced.

The sun beats relentlessly on her back. The bleachers scald the skin of her right thigh which peeks out from the edge of her high buttoned shorts. Veronica shuffles, moving to rotate the order of legs, resetting the building of heat to her left side.

June was always a challenge. Black hair, black shirts, black shorts, her personal style was usually the perfect magnet for the sun's rays. On a normal day she would retreat into the school to find the room with the best access to the building's questionably certified air conditioning system, and recover from her near spar with heat exhaustion.

A sharp tang of grass passes by, she breathes the familiar smell in with a deep shudder. Her ears catch the rumble of a mower as it rounds to her side of the field, only to continue along its path and past the edge of her private seating area.

The smell is overpowering and the sharp burn of the sun has become a prickling irritation, yet, she can't bring herself to move.

Right now, if Veronica could freeze herself in this blistering two o'clock sunlight she is sure everything would be perfect for eternity. In this moment she is a Veronica Lodge that she adores. She is the Betty Cooper's best friend Veronica, Archie Andrews's dream girl Veronica, Jughead Jones's fellow debater and companion in apathy Veronica, Kevin Keller's partner in crime Veronica, and Cheryl Blossom's foil and sometimes ally Veronica. Right now, Veronica knows who she is.

She is the Veronica Lodge of Riverdale, and she is terrified.

The lulling rumble of the far off mower halts. A Riverdale High employee saunters away from the tractor, leaving the machine alone in the center of the field. Her eyes follow the figure across the foul lines until he disappears farther than her head can turn. The field is left with an overgrown circle of grass adorning the middle, its centerpiece an overheated tractor.

The preparation for this year's graduation ceremony is weighing heavily upon the school. Veronica is absolutely certain she should be feeling nothing less than relief at the anticipated arrival of the summer. Fling her heels across her room, kick her feet up, and relish in the end of a horrifically smothering junior year. In typical Veronica Lodge fashion she had been ready to shift gears and slowly drift into her favorite mode of relaxation and retreat.

Her exposed knee turns a slight pink in the ongoing process of sunburn. The purple liner of her lips has faded to a dull reminder of the closed press her mouth is stuck in. She anxiously twists the borrowed hair tie from Betty around her wrist as she looks out past the freshly cut grass at nothing in particular.

Veronica can't possibly relax now. Not when everything is so _good_. She's an experienced and hardened woman. When life is perfect, untouchable, and finally right, it is also at its most vulnerable.

Once again the impeding future is going to threaten everything that makes Veronica Lodge, _Veronica Lodge_. Only this time the target is not her possessions. The loss of her wardrobe is something Veronica can handle. It is something she did handle, two years ago. Her _things_ are not the problem.

Betty, Archie, Kevin, Jughead, Cheryl – they are the problem.

Eventually they're all going to slip away. Fall out of her life like a fragile mug that was once a treasured piece in her everyday life. The fall would be painfully slow. Different schools, busy schedules, new relationships, shorter phone calls, flimsy excuses, stretches of silence, until finally, she would be left to clean up the mess, alone. And eventually, life would send her a dazzling new replacement as an apology. Attempt to replace people who _changed_ her, into a version of herself that she can truly be proud of – she knows better. Nothing can replace that.

Veronica knew the cliché crisis of the teenager. The friends growing apart troupe was overused and expected, she knew it was coming.

A huffing breath blows upwards and tickles a stray hair from her face. "I am so _above_ this teenage angst," she groans crossing her arms, creating a matching set of tangled limbs.

Sitting in a stressful knot of sweat was not how she wanted to be spending her first days of summer. Usually she could find her way to a clever Lodge-like plan that would help motivate her with its need for organizing and outfit picking. The common contestants – parties, clubbing, dates, shopping – just weren't good enough, and they only applied to herself, and maybe one or two of the group. The issue was all six of them.

The fresh air was supposed to help clear her head. Instead, everything was feeling more oppressive and lonely than before.

Especially the heat.

"Alright! Enough is enough." Shooting up from the metal seat, and clutching her purse she struts away from the sweat covered seat. "Screw summer."

Reaching the surface of the track Veronica starts her walk back into the school. In her relentless stride the poor man returning to the field with his tool box in tow is nearly toppled to the ground. There's only one place Veronica can go now.

Her destination: Best friend.

* * *

The freshness of the drop in temperature is an immediate relief as Veronica steps through the door of the Blue and Gold office.

"Hey, B, still working?"

Betty Cooper sits cross-legged at the end desk of the office, which is barely visible under a sea of white papers. The familiar blonde ponytail slides close to the girl's cheek in her curled position as she scribbles something between two sheets.

A slight nod of recognition is given as Veronica slowly shuts the door behind her.

Looking around the room the striking absence of a usual presence catches her by surprise. "Where's Romeo today? Exile from Verona come early?"

The slight scratching of pen on paper meets her ears, as she turns back to her friend.

"Betty?"

The blonde bunch of hair whips backwards. "Yeah, Jug went home early today, he's still meeting us at Pop's later." The chair squeaks as Betty pushes up and stretches her arms into the air. "He's thinking of working over the summer, so he's going to talk to his dad."

Veronica takes note of the added issue to the unity of their group. "That's going to be hard. I mean, with you helping Polly this summer after she graduates."

"It'll be a tight fit, but we'll manage." Betty flashes an equally tight smile.

"God, all we've been doing this year is managing." Veronica huffs swinging her bag onto a table top, letting it press into the keyboard of an old computer.

A shuffle of paper responds sharply nearby. "Well, next week is summer break. We'll have some time to relax."

"Individually, yes. But I'm talking about as a collective." Her hands press into a prayers. "Come on B don't you want one day – one date, with Jughead, where the back of your mind isn't permanently sending white noise about finals, internships, parents, or even Polly and the babies!?

"V!" Betty squeaks, attention suddenly sharp as her eyes swipe across the room. "Polly and the twins aren't a burden for me!" Green eyes pinch closed. "Everything is just… extra hectic, the last few months. Besides, even _I_ know how to relax with my boyfriend time to time." Her eyes open with a new cut of indignation in their color.

"Please –"Veronica squeezes the last syllable out. "Even Archie, who has his life mapped out with the safety net of football can hardly sit still during a one hour movie with me. I swear his hair is going to turn white before he hits twenty."

Her friend lets a breathy chuckle through a struggling smile that favors her right cheek. "Okay, but that's just Arch-"

"And you know as well as I do, that your boy is wound up so tight that he's going to snap like a cheap hair tie by the end of the week. Or, at the very least, that beanie is going to catch fire with the incoming of his future-fretting-meltdown."

Betty's bottom lip worries out of sight as her chin angles into a slight twist of acknowledgment.

Veronica's got her now.

"See! Everyone's on edge! We need a complete out from Riverdale and all of its nonsense!" She paces in front of Betty grappling for her perfect solution. "An end of the year party will not cut it this time."

"So, something like, a vacation? Betty offers.

"No, that won't work. We need quick and we need spontaneous. Something that we can just _do."_ Her wandering ends at the cluster of Blue and Gold desks, allowing her to begin tapping a nail in frustration. "We need something we won't overthink – no planning – just, a sudden…"

 _The longing of wind pushing her hair back, the sun beating through a window, her friends by her side, the destination unknown_ \- That's it!

"A road trip!" Veronica beams.

"A road trip?!" Betty gapes.

Hands meet hips as Betty's face scrunches. "V, I thought we were at least aiming for a one day kind of thing! A road trip is exactly the kind of thing that needs planning! We were just saying there's hardly anytime this sum-"

Veronica brushes past the argument grabbing Betty's hands. "No, no, no, no! You're right, this is perfect! One day is hardly enough time; we need a full-blown, week long, excursion! Out of Riverdale, no thinking, no stress, we'll just go!" She swears her body is vibrating at the thought.

"No, no, no! Excluding you and me, who else is going to be able to come! Jughead wants to start working this summer, Archie I think– he's starting that renovation project with his dad… God, even Kevin can't go!"

"Maybe they don't think they can go, but we all know they _want_ to." Veronica continues on despite the side to side shaking of Betty's ponytail. "We just need to start the engine and hit the road! Once we're moving everything we thought was a major necessity will be second hand news!"

"We don't have a car," Betty laughs.

"Oh, well. I meant metaphorically but – yes, we totally do." Her smirk must be contagious because Betty seems to be catching her exuberance. "If I recall… You just finished a massive automobile project with Mr. C, apparently there's a conveniently placed vehicle sitting in your garage."

There's no immediate response, the two girls hold their breath and glare their positions across the room.

"This road trip's itinerary not only offers an adventure with yours truly," Veronica angles her eyebrow mischievously with another possibility. "It certainly provides once in a lifetime opportunities for uninterrupted alone time with your very own Llyod Dobler."

Veronica's definitely got Betty Cooper now.

Betty huffs, flinging her hands up in surrender. "Okay! Okay! Even if I liked the possibility of a getaway with everyone, it doesn't matter! Once you ask the group this is going to hit a serious road-block."

A hand is placed over her heart. "Please Betty. If I can persuade you, the queen of plans and preparation, then everyone else will hardly be a speed bump in my momentum."

Veronica reaches for Betty's brown handbag and swings it towards her friend's chest. "Now come on. Let's go to Pop's and test my theory."

* * *

The diner is rumbling with noise. With a week left of school every Riverdale High student has come to squeeze into a dimly lit booth. Each minute the soft jingle of the entrance bell echoes around the building, mixing with sporadic laughter and conversation. Flat glass meeting table top clinks create a common rhythm as milkshakes are served for each new patron to arrive. For the six teenagers crammed into a single booth, the summer rush is just as nostalgic as it is hectic.

Cheryl, Betty, and Veronica have fit comfortably together on their side of the booth facing the uncomfortable sandwiched together Kevin-Archie-Jughead side. A single booth was lucky to find in the currently overcrowded establishment, so they were forced to improvise. They each suck down their respective milkshake attempting to smother the heated trek, except Jughead, who makes good work of Kevin's unfinished macaroni side. Kevin's appetite was seemingly lost when he was forcibly pushed into a permeant relationship with the wall, though he continues to sip his drink leisurely. Only Veronica's swirling brown and pink shake has remained full as she becomes distracted with her idea's pitch.

Betty swipes a finger of whip cream from Veronica's glass, and avoids the blank looks of the other teens.

The macaroni tilts from Jughead's fork matching the angle of his curving brows. "A teenage… excursion?"

Two perfectly polished fingers snap nearly an inch from the boy's nose. "Keep those foreboding floodgates closed Cameron Frye." The red velvet nails retreat to move a black strand away from their owner's particularly smug smile. "I'm not your average Ferris Bueller – I actually have a plan."

"So, we've heard," Kevin drawls. "Though you have yet to explain how this monumental event will be executed. But – I have to say – so far, I'm invested."

Cheryl pulls her hair over a shoulder flinging a strand across Betty's eye, leaving the blonde sputtering. "Whatever it is, I'm in!"

Jughead's noodle drops to the table at his girlfriend's now watering eye.

"It sounds great Ronnie…" Veronica perks up at the voice and turns from the brewing nonsense besides her. Archie offers a classic smile. "Just, what exactly is it… that we'll be doing, I mean?"

Her smile shines at the question, the perfect segue to her announcement. Peering over Jughead's arm that stretches over the table towards Betty, Veronica looks to the entire group.

"I propose the theme for this sum-"

"Ah! Watch out you layered rag doll!" Cheryl hisses just as Jughead's elbow brushes into Veronica's glass.

Everyone's eyes dart down as the clang of glass resounds and a melted chocolate-strawberry mixture pours off the table to the floor.

As well as splattering onto Veronica's bare legs.

"Veronica, sorry!" Jughead lunges to the glass now rolling towards the edge.

Betty bunches napkins from the dispenser with one eye squeezed shut, Kevin's hands shoot to his mouth, Cheryl practically climbs up the wall to avoid the spill, and the table jolts upwards as Archie's knees hit the underside in his jump to Veronica's rescue.

Sucking in a breath and nearly ripping the napkins from Betty's hand Veronica waves a hand. "Relax Jughead, no damage." She dabs the napkins across her thighs. "What I was," Her teeth grit together, " _trying_ to say was: a road trip."

"A… road trip?" Archie mimics and Veronica doesn't quite get the look that he and Jughead exchange.

She continues on. "It's an opportunity for us to escape the smothering of life before it becomes deadly next year...just a fun, stress-free trip we can have…" _Together._

There is a pause between them.

And then, the muttering of off handed excuses begins.

Work, study, parents, money, the list continues and by the time a diner employee arrives to mob up the mess Veronica's thighs are stuck to the cushioned seat with her sweat and the remains of a milkshake. The whole arrangement is so suffocating that she decides to take the echoing of dismisses into the bathroom.

The sink runs endlessly as she wipes damp paper towels across her legs. A tear slides onto the tile as she bends over to scrub her knee.

 _Hadn't she stopped crying over spilled drinks?_

A sudden creek comes from the bathroom door and Veronica quickly brushes a thumb under her watering eye.

"V?" Betty's voice allows her to relax as she turns to meet the guilty expression of her best friend.

"Even though I thought this might happen – minus the whole milkshake fiasco – I'm kinda disappointed everyone gutted it so quickly." More paper towels are pulled from the black box on the wall as Betty continues. "On our way here I was getting excited just thinking about it, you know, being together with everyone. Having some stupid spontaneous adventure."

Betty runs the towels under the water before handing them to Veronica.

"And…" Betty mumbles. "You were right."

Veronica halts a sniffle and peers questionably at the girl before her. "About what?"

"Jughead and me… I hate it but, ever since we had those guidance counselor meetings, I just – I can't stop thinking about being separated from him." Pink glossed lips tremble. "And now, not just Jughead, but you, Kevin, Archie, Polly, the twins. I should be thankful that I can qualify – but if I do, if I decide to go away to some school…" the thought chokes her voice away.

Veronica drops the damp brown paper and reaches for Betty's hands. "It's like we'll all slip away," she breathes pulling them down.

"Yeah."

Couched over the subtly white of the bathroom floor Veronica feels a weight lift as Betty squeezes her hands.

"But..." Veronica peers up and the sudden glee in Betty's tone. "I was thinking. You said earlier that maybe we just needed to start the engine, buckle everyone in, and then go."

A mischievous smile creeps onto her friend's face.

Veronica voice is giddy. "B, I know I insinuated that we would borrow your dad's car, but I don't think I ever mentioned kidnapping everyone in it."

Betty chuckles. "It was metaphorical V, but I am saying that maybe we just need to hit the gas and worry about it all later."

" _Betty Cooper,_ are you suggesting...?"

"That we throw them in the trunk and go? – then yes, I am."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Steppin' Out of Touch

* * *

 **The Road-trip Music Recs:  
** Part 1 (Betty) : Steppin' Out by Joe Jackson  
Part 2 (Jughead) : Out of Touch by Hall & Oates

* * *

" _Get in a good mood. How hard is it just to decide to be in a good mood and then be in a good mood?_ "

– _Camerwon Crowe, Say Anything_

She won't look. There may be an hour or just a few minutes left, but if she looks it will break the spell.

Betty buries her nose deeper into the smooth surface of her pillow and away from the time bomb on her phone. One of three blankets is still wrapped comfortably around her torso, as the others have been abandoned in her recent twisting. There's still a slight dip of grogginess and she may be wandering between thinking and dreaming; she knows for sure that her mind has rehearsed the incoming morning routine more than she can even recall.

Usually it was a lingering of anxiety that forced Betty awake before her alarm could sound, and she'd shield her eyes from the ticking clock, hoping there was more sleep in store. This morning however, was a different tune. The pounding in her chest is definitely not a discomfort. Despite her ungodly bedtime there's no dread for the coming buzzer. For one of the first times, Betty realizes with a lazy smile swallowed in the cushioning, she's actually excited to wake u-"BEEPBEEP!"

Her excitement does not stop the groan from the obnoxious electronic screech.

"BEEP BEEP!"

Within the minute she is bounding out of bed towards her phone across the room. Today could not afford the usual Betty Cooper routine of alarm extensions and "five more minutes".

"BEEE-"

"I'm up, I'm up," She says lightly with a swipe to cancel the blaring alarm. The screen blaring a 5:00 AM reminder disappears and Betty notices a message that came in minutes before.

Of course, it's from Veronica.

 _Up and at 'em girl! I'll see you in two hours at Pops! Don't forget the boys ;D 3 3 3_

There's nothing special in the text but it still puts a gleeful hop in Betty's step as she moves to fulfill the promised meeting time because _they're actually doing this_!

Betty strips her thin pajamas and throws them towards the vanity chair which her backpack occupies. The thing looks ready to burst or tip off the seat. It's possible that she may be over packed, but after removing surplus the night before she can't bear to leave anything else at home. Every item stuffed into the clumpy backpack is already stapled to her fantasy of the incoming adventure.

Besides, there's no time for repacking. If there were minutes to spare she would have spent them bundled in bed instead of narrowing down pairs of socks or hair ties.

The baggage is left behind as Betty rushes indecent to the bathroom. She needs to work quickly. Brushing her teeth, showering (only pausing once to rifle through the bathroom sink for the strawberry body wash that Jughead recently noticed with a deep inhale, and then again to relish in the memory), drying her hair, and finally dashing a bit of makeup and sunscreen on her skin over the porcelain bathroom sink. The whole thing feels sneaky and Betty can't help the bubbling of giggles when she dashes back to the bedroom, only this time, with a towel for cover.

When she returns a sharp line of sunlight is poking through her curtains. The rays shine over the day's outfit she had laid out by the window. She slips into the midi pair of black shorts and tight blue tank top before the sun has a chance to leave a warm resonance on the seams. For a taste of natural light, Betty pulls open the curtains open and enjoys the slight heat on her back when she sits down to pull on her white sneakers.

She doesn't have to check the mirror to know a beaming smile is spread across her cheeks, though she still does even if it's only to add the final touch of her favorite necklace and earrings.

As she stands tall in front of her vanity there's an unfamiliar thought.

 _Perfect_. It's perfect.

And not the unblemished or pure kind of perfect that she always loathed. Things just feel _right_. Looking in the mirror there's nothing she would change. Thinking about her life there's nothing she wants different.

Betty can't deny that her radiating joy right now may be connected to the implications of this specific morning. Veronica had said, in a whisper at their isolated end of the lunch table a week before, this 5:00 AM start was the first step in the "Ultimate B&V Operation." Now that the day's schedule was underway it was smoother sailings to the _thing_ that had been keeping Betty up late at night, slipping her into daydreams during class, causing her to mistakenly print the name "Betty C Jones" on a recent Blue and Gold article - which she swore was because of a specific Jones' road side service and not of whatever Kevin was implying – which was Veronica's spontaneous road trip.

Also known as the Ultimate B&V Operation.

For the remaining two weeks of school, after the original (failed) introduction of the idea, Betty and Veronica had painstakingly spun their plan for a road trip success. Although Veronica had insisted on a grab and gun it approach, but the success of that was probably less than half, especially since they were grabbing four of their unsuspecting friends before gunning it. Instead, after a heated discussion, and the exhaustion of three baskets of Pop's fries, they compromised. A split of Betty-planning for the first day and Veronica's spontaneous unscripted adventure for their actual travels. If everyone was going to get on board, or get in the car, they needed a strong schedule for the day of departure.

Although, unbeknownst to Veronica, Betty may have still done a bit of research regarding on-route rest stops, and it was possible, that she may have bought a cross country map which was now decorated with her own pink and blue highlights.

Doing a bit of map studying never hurt anyone before venturing off.

Granted, she would have to admit that the multi folding paper had become a recent pain to hide away when Veronica or Jughead visited her room. Her unsuspecting boyfriend had _nearly_ caught her scribbling stars over a specific scenic route. Thanks to quick maneuvering, however, she had hidden it under her blankets in time. After those slip ups the map had been relocated to the car's visor, unfortunately, it was no available in the bedroom for her late night road trip fantasies.

But Betty doesn't need to fantasize anymore, the days for map hiding was over and the day of action had come. As long as she follows the script to the "t" everything would go smoothly.

With one last once over in the mirror she shuffles the heavy backpack over her shoulders and makes her way downstairs. During the trek, Betty settles for blowing a goodbye kiss through the nursery door to the sleeping twins. It was better to avoid any risk of waking the adorable one year olds, especially since her poor sister had just finished an exhausting week. Two days ago Polly graduated Riverdale High and with the flowering of gifts, obligatory Cooper-celebratory dinner, and the usual baby coddling at horrific hours of the night, the young mother deserved a morning of well-earned sleep.

There's some guilt in this sneaking out to have a fun and carefree time with friends. Polly hardly gets that privilege and although she never once complains about motherhood, Betty still notices the longing behind her sister's eyes from the burden of stress that she carries alone. Betty almost halted the road trip idea to once again help carry some of Polly's weight, but that idea was met with rejection from her sister (and although Betty would never say it she was secretly thankful for the release).

As much as she loves Polly and being a godmother the overbearing stress in school, home life, and future mapping (or avoidance of) was making her yearn for a day of teenage normalcy.

There's just a small part of Betty that wishes she could give Polly some of that freedom too.

Betty peeks up the stairs a finally time and thinks that at the very least she could follow up on Veronica's proposition of snatching cute souvenirs at every tourist stop they passed. Polly would definitely love that.

With a clunk of her backpack she hops off the last step to the floor and heads to the kitchen. The sound of sizzling meat and the sweet smell of a cooked ham gives her an overwhelming greeting.

"Morning Mom," she chirps approaching the slouching figure of Alice Cooper, who is still adorned in loose pajamas by the stove.

"Good morning sweetie." Her mother leans over to drop a kiss on her cheek which then transforms into a yawn. "I was already up so I figured you'd like something to eat before you go. Not to mention cooking breakfast keeps your father in bed a little longer."

Betty smirks and grabs a slice of ham the moment Alice places the finished piece onto the nearby plate.

There's a moment of only greasy pops and her own chewing so Betty uses it to grab the keys that have already been set on the kitchen table. With a swallow she also grabs the two plastic containers nearby that have been filled with fruit and sandwich pieces. One is labelled Jughead.

"Thanks mom, but I won't be able to sit and eat, I have to grab Archie before I go."

"What time are you meeting Veronica, again?" Her mother asks while shifting to grab the carton of eggs.

"Seven," she replies and glances at the analog clock hanging on the wall. "I should go, I have an hour to pick everyone up. Is the car..?"

"Parked on the street." Alice almost gives her a smirk. "I had your father take it out of the garage for your," she pauses and this time her lips are quirked up. " _Camping trip_."

Betty balances the key on top of her Tupperware in one hand to give her mother a one armed hug. "Mom, thank you _so_ much," she presses. "Just… _thank you! Thank you!"_

Her mother brushes a manicured hand up her back before pulling back with a tired smile.

"I owe you a little fun. Just stay safe Elizabeth, and make sure you don't drive the whole time!" She lightly snaps with her usual glint of finality. "And once you're back I hope you'll finally sit down and finish those college applications-"

Betty nods through her mother's tangent. "I will, I promise."

She rather keep any source of stress on the backburner for now.

"Also if you stop for the night please text me the address, so if anything happens-"

The nodding continues. "I will, Mom, but really we'll be fine."

Before another Alice Cooper reminder is handed off Betty steadies the plastic containers in her arms to grab the car keys in a free hand.

"I have to go, but thanks for breakfast," she smiles and skips around the kitchen island heading for the front door. "And for lunch too!"

Betty is already half through the door when the last nagging – something to do with "Just don't eat while you're driving, pull over if you have to" – needs to be cut short. Betty shoots back her usual "I know, I will!" to end it and finally closes the heavy red door.

Outside the early morning is a bloom of birds singing and blistering June sunlight that is still trapped behind the neighborhood rooftops. On her way down the manicured walk way she also notices a dampness to the stone along with the pristine covering of droplets along the black railings. The morning dew catches on her fingers as she streaks them across the stairs railings for balance before she jumps down to the ground, missing the center steps.

With a final hop Betty reaches the key to the road trip's success and inserts her own key to unlock its door.

Her father's newly finished 1984 Ford LTD Country Squire.

The yearlong culmination of free time between his grand-parenting and her assistance during spring break, is now ready and waiting for the road trip of a lifetime.

Although it wasn't technically hers, her father was almost eager for someone to take it for worthwhile drive since he was mostly stuck inside cradling two grandchildren while juggling Register work. Not to mention, he also deemed her the second (unofficial) owner of the station wagon from her constant help during the restoration process.

Although it was truly thanks to her mother's cleverly timed mention of Betty's "camping trip" with Veronica and Cheryl, during his mulling over the dust gathering state of the vehicle, that she had landed the gift for the week.

Peering at the sparkling wooden frame of the dashboard and hearing the call of the untouched steering wheel Betty bounces slightly on her heels to settle her excitement. She can't hit the gas yet. There's still one more step in the first stage of the Ultimate B&V Operation and it consists of a grab before gunning it.

She sets the packed lunch onto the plush floor of the car and rolls a window down to keep the food safe from the slow heating of the sun.

With that the easy stage of the plan is done and Betty quickly jogs across the front lawns to her first challenge.

When she rings the doorbell of the Andrews' house there is an uncertain pause and she almost doubts if Veronica successful laid the bait.

That is until the door knob is jostled and pulled in to reveal the familiar scruff of Fred Andrews.

"Morning Betty, sorry I kept you waiting I'm still waking up and that old couch is practically a bed," he jokes, but the delicately placed hand on his side hints otherwise. Fred widens the entrance and waves a hand for Betty to enter. "Archie's almost ready, he should be down in a few."

"Thanks Mr. Andrews." She tilts her chin for a grateful smile and moves over the front stoop into the familiar narrow entrance hall of the Andrews' home. Through the narrow passage besides the stairwell the kitchen lies open and Betty can just make out the cluster of power tools lying about the counters.

"I heard you're redoing the kitchen," Betty offers in attempt for small conversation.

Fred glances back to the end of the hall before resting an arm over the wooden railing of the stairs. "You heard right," he responds with a light grin. "Figured I'd put myself to work. Put in a new sink and counter, nothing too heavy. Just got the doctor's okay for it, so I should be starting soon enough."

"That's really great Mr. Andrews," Betty sings and it takes an extra push to ignore the slight lump that has formed in her throat. The prospect of home renovation may have seemed unusually dull from the outside, but its implication is heavy with an almost divine thankfulness.

A year ago when Betty had stood spilling tears over the broken pieces of her childhood friend, desperate to hold his broken self together, there was a suffocating fear that Fred Andrews, the heart of Archie's life would slip through.

Now as she stands in this house, besides its warmest presence, there's a fight not to shed tears over the beautiful distance from that haunting memory.

A slight rumbling echoes from the floorboards above and Betty breaks from her reminiscing to peer up the stairs.

A muffled curse is heard and then the responsible ruffled mob of red hair appears.

"Sorry Betty!" Archie calls from the top step he leans onto. "There's just a couple of things Ronnie asked me to grab, I swear I'll be right down!"

"No problem, Archie!" She calls back, but the poor whipped boy is already bounding back upstairs.

Betty slightly kicks herself for ever doubting the methods of Veronica Lodge.

A chuckle resounds and Betty draws attention back to Fred who is moving to the connected living room.

"I heard you're all having a day trip out of town," Fred begins before stopping to take a sip of a mug that had rested on the center coffee table. "Not to mention you're taking the Country Squire."

There's a sharp shine behind those worn eyes and Betty suddenly realizes she's no longer in the realm of a small chat.

"Uh… yes! My dad's letting me borrow it, so Veronica and I thought after breakfast we could take everyone out for the day-"

"Week." Fred takes another sip after he gently cuts her off.

Her hands ring nervously around the cold metal of the car keys. "Um…"

"Heard from your dad you're going out for the week." Another sip. "A camping trip. And apparently, he said, it was just you and the girls."

 _Shoot._

Betty warned Veronica that too many cover stories – especially cover stories with fundamentally different _time_ _covers_ – might unfortunately come back and overlap.

Although getting Archie out for just a single day was the best they could do recently. There wasn't much room for an alternative.

Somehow, she knows, there's going to be a lot of necessary weaseling to undo this inconsistent web they've weaved.

"Mr. Andrews I-"

A hand unwraps quickly from the body of the coffee mug and gently signals her to stop.

"But if you had told Archie a week," he starts again with a quick glance towards the groaning boards of the celling. "He would have said no. On account of me."

Betty shifts weight to her right leg. Her bottom lip is tugged awkwardly by a single tooth, as she waits for him to continue.

"It's been a year Betty. You're a smart girl and you've got a good eye, you've probably noticed, Archie's been walking on egg shells since I came home, and he probably goes out less than me." Fred sticks a hand into his pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper before once again approaching her.

He offers the mystery note to her and she takes it with little hesitation. Whatever is written inside doesn't matter, Betty knows that she's essentially been passed the baton of responsibility for Archie Andrews.

"Give that to FP Jones. I figure it's safe to say you'll eventually stop by Jughead's," he squints with a grin that almost appears as a wink. Betty flushes slightly under the knowing eyes of Fred Andrews.

"Even I need the house to myself sometimes."

Then the thundering squeaks of wooden stairs interrupts.

"Hey Betty!" Archie sprints down the remaining steps with his own over flowing backpack in tow. "Sorry, that took forever! Ronnie texted me a whole list of random things to bring _just in case_ , but knowing her if I don't grab it- well you know!" He laughs, and Betty smiles back before slipping the note into her back pocket.

Fred claps a hand on Archie's back and starts pushing them back through the front door.

"Well then you probably don't want to keep the lady waiting, kiddo."

"Yeah you're right… Oh- hey Dad," Archie halts and shimmies past Betty to approach his father again. "Did you get the okay to start the kitchen, 'cause if you wanna start tonight I'll come home early…?"

Betty catches the slight glance the older man gives her before he replies. "Doctor actually called back this morning, said I should wait another week before I start any heavy labor."

Archie responds with unsuspecting disappointment. "Alright, just let me know if you need anything," he says and adds a chipper good bye before heading for the street.

"Betty!"

The call yanks her attention away from Archie as he demands " _shotgun_!" to no one but her.

"It was nice talking to you and _good luck_!"

Betty stands with her jaw definitely hanging open as Fred Andrews waves and then disappears behind the white door.

She's left wondering how Veronica and she thought _they_ were the sneaky ones.

* * *

Maybe it was the fact that he'd slept through his alarm.

Maybe it was because Jellybean had occupied the shower for a ridiculous amount of time, claiming she couldn't simply _interrupt_ an eight minute Led Zepplin song.

Maybe it was because Hot Dog had decided his faithful black sneakers were a perfect morning chew toy and he had to wipe the slobber off them with a tissue.

No matter the actual reason, Jughead Jones is in a less than cheerful mood.

There's actually quite a bit he should be _happy_ about, he thinks, while slipping on a pair of frayed jeans. Despite the early wake up on the first official day of summer break, he _is_ going out to breakfast with his girlfriend and their friends.

It was actually Veronica who had begged him to drag his lifeless body away from the possibility of a late morning sleep at the prospect of enjoying time with Betty, which apparently the girl had been pining for, and it would be a lie if Jughead said he wasn't feeling the same.

Things had been rather hectic recently. Excluding the craziness of their respective families, Betty had also been a little off – distant? – recently, with increased, and isolated time with Veronica. If he can move passed this six-thirty crankiness then he'll admit there's a flutter of excitement to sit down and actually _relax_ with Betty – and Archie, Veronica, Kevin, Cheryl crowded together during the bustling morning rush of Pop's diner…

Okay, _hopefully_ relax.

Betty's message of _"On my way!"_ had chirped on his phone a few minutes ago, so he has about ten minutes before she arrives at Sunnyside.

With a slip of his palm through his hair the beanie is settled on his head and he figures _this is as good as it's gonna get_ in the bathroom mirror. He clicks off the lights and slips out to the trailer's kitchen only to be greeted by additional snark.

"Look who woke up the dead."

Jughead admits a mock groan and flanks to the right to jostle the chair Jellybean occupies. She screaks and loses her grip on the Cheerios box resulting in an overflow of cereal over the bowl.

A perfect strike back from the earlier hot shower steal.

"Jug! Come on!" She slaps at his arm and glares at his too obvious glee. "What the hel-"

"Hey! Language missy!"

The front door creaks open just in time for his father to saunter through and catch Jellybean's profanity slip.

"I was gonna say heck…" she pouts and begins returning the lost cheerio soldiers to her bowl.

Jughead leaves the kitchen for the main den to search out his backpack.

"Hey Dad, did Mom leave already?" He asks, glancing through the window for the likely empty spot of his father's truck.

"Yeah, she just left." There's a jostling of a kitchen drawer as FP replies from the kitchen. "Said she'll be home for dinner, but it'll be a long day so we can get pizza or something; that way she doesn't have to cook. Sound good?"

He turns to find his father sneaking a spoon into his sister's cereal to a steal bite. She lets of an incredulous " _Hey!"_ at the thievery.

"Yeah that's fine but…I may be out late."

FP leans onto the kitchen table as he defends from the onslaught of "JB fury fists," and manages a smug grin.

"Gonna be a late night with Betty?" He chuckles.

That definitely merits an eye roll and Jughead lets him have it.

"Not just Betty, I'll be out with Archie and the usual group too. Besides," he pauses glancing away, before he tackles the next topic. "I can't be _that_ late. I'm getting up early tomorrow."

Jellybean laughs. "What's earlier than six for you Jug!"

His father however, catches the hint.

"Work?"

"Possibly,"Jughead replies and lets his eyes drift to the side to catch the look on FP's face.

Truthfully he hasn't landed anything yet, but recently there had been a tension with his father just regarding the idea of Jughead _looking_ for a job over the summer. Which was definitely unsettling because him working wasn't a new concept in their house, he always made his own money. If there was a new pair of headphones he wanted, he bought it. If there were notebooks for school he needed, he handled the bill. This whole adversity of him getting a few summer jobs is a ball game he hadn't played – and he _fucking hated_ baseball in gym, so that didn't really help the situation.

"Look Jug… if this is about school you don't have to-"

He tenses at that line of prodding.

"Actually Dad I do. I can't really mess around this summer, I have the time so I'm going to use it." He lets that begin and end the entirety of his reasons, not willing to discuss the topic further.

The slightly forgotten early morning irritation is springing back. He runs a thumb over his eye, hopefully removing the remaining sleepiness.

When his hand retreats he's taken aback that FP has shifted from the relaxed position by the table and now stands tall and almost intimidating in front of him.

Like a father, Jughead thinks.

It was a common aura he carried after being released from jail the previous year.

"Jughead, you may not think so, but I actually _do_ know what this is about." FP begins with a slightly softer tone. "Your mom and I are working, you shouldn't have to feel-"

There's a crash of something obviously glass before a delayed cheer.

"Betty's here!" Jellybean shouts and Jughead peers around his father to see the splatter of milk and mournfully soggy cheerios around glass on the kitchen floor.

FP sighs moving for the mess. "I'll get it."

Jughead kicks on his chewed shoes. "I'll get the door."

He grabs his backpack preparing to exit the trailer before an overexcited knocking resounds on the other side of the front door.

Definitely Betty, he thinks with a smirk.

Pulling the knob he's greeted to the absolute radiance of Betty Cooper, donning a tight fitted tank top and dangerously cut shorts. Usually he maintained a certain amount of control over himself, but he's been itching to see her the past few days, not to mention touch her.

They had hardly managed a simple hand hold at Polly's recent graduation dinner.

"Juggie! Morning!" Betty beams, with an infectious energy that vibrates her whole being. For a moment Jughead thinks she's going to pounce at him in front of his family and the entire population of the Sunnyside trailer park, until she reigns control and settles for a light grab at his elbows at the voice of their friend.

"Hey Jug," Archie smiles as he reaches the front stoop. "Did you see Betty's ride! Her dad let her take it!"

Betty mutters a protest of its insignificance, but he's already looking towards the trailer's edge where the classic blue station wagon sits.

Sharp wooden sides and shining silver rims in the strengthening morning light. He's not a car enthusiast but he can definitely appreciate them, and this automobile is certainly deserving of that.

He also recognizes it as the sacred Hal Cooper project that he had been given the orders of " _look and don't touch"_ during his many visits to Betty's house. The closest he had ever gotten to thing was when he brought Betty a water bottle as she helped fix something under the vehicle. Jughead remembers Betty explaining the piece but he had been short-circuited after walking in on the obscene image of her rustling with the underbelly of the car, and afterwards Hal had given him a look that could be interpreted as Jughead's last time in the Cooper garage.

The car is beautiful, a truly different image from its beaten-up state months ago, but its presence also sends a splash of confusion over him.

"Your dad let you borrow his car for the day?" Jughead questions, raising a purposeful brow towards his girlfriend. "What's the occasion?" He chuckles slightly.

Betty's smile falters and her hands slip from his arms. "It's nothing!" She replies, in an almost, quick recovery.

Jughead's not stupid. He'd like to think he's probably the furthest thing from it, so he knows, better than anyone, that Betty Cooper is being less than frank with him right now.

"I just figured," he starts with a steady but prying tone. "Your dad lending you his _third_ untouchable grandchild wouldn't be for a day just a day at Pop's."

He's caught her and with an unsure tilt of her chin he knows she's scrambling.

"It's just… Ronnie and I figured we may do some driving around… and with the Squire we can fit everyone, it'll be fun!" She finishes with an innocent shrug of her bare, but still reddened, shoulders from her sleeveless dress during graduation.

His mind wanders off the confident stance Betty offers him to the actual "Squire" in question.

The station wagon fits five people. They have six.

Not mention it has good mileage – which Mr. Cooper raved about – and the extra storage in the back.

He may be on to something but he needs to check.

"Hey Arch," Jughead calls to his friend who's standing almost helplessly nearby, though he doesn't peel his eyes from Betty. "Did Veronica ask you to bring anything… _weird_ today?"

Betty's eyes crinkle into a passable cringe.

"Uh… yeah, she did," Archie answers. "Ronnie asked me to pack some extra clothes, a bathing suit – I just figured maybe she'd turn the day into some search for a pool or something, it is supposed to be hot – and she also made me bring pajamas which was kinda weird…I guess," Archie finishes at the uncertainty of his own list and then whips back between the car and them.

That's all Jughead needs. Evidence of an impromptu packing request, a sleek long driving vehicle, and he's figured Betty Cooper out.

Although it may also be thanks to the fresh memory of National Lampoon's Vacation floating around in his mind from a recent revisit with his sister that lets him connect the dots to Veronica's proposal two weeks prior.

Now that he thinks of it two weeks ago was when Betty and Veronica had increased their usual "B&V time, and when Betty had started acting a little shifty.

"Betts, if what you're planning has anything to do with driving and traveling then no." He wipes a hand down his face at the realization of this now obvious scheme. "I told you this summer I can't." He turns away and moves back into the house.

He glances back in time to see that her face has morphed with a level of disappointment, but there's still an edge there that proves she hasn't given up yet.

Archie's voice is calling after them as Betty follows him into the trailer.

"Wait, what's happening?" Archie asks slipping behind Betty. "This doesn't have anything to do with that road trip thing Ronnie brought up, does it? I thought we were just doing breakfast?"

Jughead crosses his arms. "That's exactly what this is about. " Then uncrosses them. "Betty, I told you I wanted to work this summer, I thought you were okay with that," he finishes with a softer tone.

"I know Jug, and I am," she complies. "V and I just wanted a chance to spend time with everyone."

Archie cuts in with a look of guilt. "It's a fun idea Betty, but like I told Veronica, I can't really leave my dad."

The three of them are left awkwardly clustered at the entrance waiting for someone's final word.

Jughead feels rather crappy throwing a massive bucket of cold water on Betty's plan. A road trip always had been an appealing idea during the summer, but when he wanted to do it something always came up. Archie bailing was a reason two summers ago, and this year weighed more on the unsettling question his future and finances which had recently been planted by a rather unhelpful guidance counselor meeting, and an unfinished discussion about it with Betty.

Suddenly a rough cough breaks his spiraling and the group's silence.

His father stands awkwardly with a bunch of paper towels sopping with milk and cereal, as an unwilling audience member, with Jellybean slinking behind.

"Uh… although I'm not entirely sure what all this is about, you may want to pull up a chair if you're gonna be a while," he offers with a gesture to the kitchen chairs. "Not to mention we've got waffles…"

Archie pulls from their triangular arrangement towards the table, gives Jellybean a high five and then snatches some food. Jughead stays planted except for shrugging his backpack to the ground.

"Oh! FP," Betty calls from besides him reaching into her back pocket. "There's something I need to give you. It's from Mr. Andrews."

His father successfully tosses the dripping paper towels into the trash bin before taking the folded note and reading.

The kitchen echoes with his rare hearty laugh.

"Typical Fred," FP smirks and hides the note into his own pocket.

Then without warning he's shooting forward grabbing Jughead's backpack and tossing it to Jellybean.

"Wha- Dad what are y-"

"JB do me a favor, throw some essentials in there, some of your brother's clothes too," his father asks and Jellybean hesitates with the nearly empty bag for only a second before giving a salute and scurrying to the bedrooms.

Next to him Betty's eyes shine with a new certainty as if their earlier rejections were now voided.

 _Was this her plan all along?_

Jughead tries to uphold his earlier stance. "Dad-"

"I've been given orders to kick you out of the house and send you on your way with this lovely lady here," his father replies with a quirked brow that dares Jughead to fight him on it.

"And that includes you Andrews."

Betty's hands press together in an excited prayer. Archie sits slack jawed with a waffle in hand. "Wait, what? What did my dad say?"

Jughead's losing control of the situation with every inch his father's grin inches upwards.

"Your dad has fired you as his twenty four hour baby sitter, Archie. Apparently, you're not allowed home until you have a good time," FP answers and ignores the shocked response Archie when he shoots up from the kitchen table.

"Look," His father wipes his eyes over the three of them. "You're kids, and believe it or not you deserve to be just that, which is something Fred and I can agree on," he states peering towards Archie and then back to Jughead almost cutting him down in size. "Jughead, if you want to work that's fine, but believe me you've got your whole life for that. Riverdale's taken a pause in its usual bullshit-"

"Hey language!" the shrill voice of Jellybean cuts in, as she returns with his luggage.

"Sorry, I meant nonsense," his father corrects with a smirk which then turns into a sincere look. "Son, I'm just saying you should take this opportunity while you can, hold off on your job tomorrow. Let me be the parent for once."

Jughead something heavy weigh in his throat, as he lets the almost fantastical image of his father, offering more than he could have ever imagine, manipulate him.

He gives.

"I didn't actually find anything yet," he mumbles. "For work…"

A familiar figure shifts in front of him and he's thankful because it hides his misting eyes.

"Juggie please," Betty pines quietly almost an inch from his nose. "I know you're worried about where we're headed and how we'll handle it, I am too… but I swear we'll figure out together, like we always do." His hand is clutched between her own. "We can think about the future with some fun too."

Suddenly, his shoulder is pummeled by the thud of Archie's palm.

"Dude, at this point if we don't go Ronnie will probably skin us. Besides… we can, you know, make up for our own lost opportunity of sophomore year."

 _God_ , at this point he's fighting a losing battle. As his fingers twist around Betty's and the old forgotten talks with Archie about long drives and good music return he's essentially allowed himself to wave a white flag.

He sighs. "Alright, you're all ridiculous, but you win, I'll go. Okay, I'll go!"

Archie hollers and FP laughs as he chucks a full backpack at him.

Then before he can blink Betty lands a chaste kiss to the corner of his lips that leaves him so dizzy that when she pulls away the next thing he knows they're already pulling away from the waving figures of Jellybean and FP at the trailer door.

A cheerful knot twists inside Jughead as he leans back in the front seat, a new appreciation for this morning now in sight.

"Okay! This is a serious low blow. I had dibs on shotgun!" Archie pulls forward, creaking the seatbelt to its limit. "Betty come on this is a serious betrayal!"

The image of his friend straining a head between the two front seats is frighteningly close to Hot Dog when his white fluffy mug hovered over the middle console.

Jughead manages his worst sneer towards the whimpering teenager. "Sorry dude, the lady has spoken. I guess I really _am_ Betty's favorite." Then, for added scorn, Jughead stretches a hand past the radio to pinch the soft skin of a knee.

An entirely stereotypical squeal breaks from the holder of the steering wheel. Archie's eyes roll around their sockets and he allows the grey strap to take him back as prisoner in the second row. Although Jughead misses the humor in the moment, as he is completely lost in the familiar roll his chest gives at the sound of Betty's glee, even her light slap swipes across his shoulder.

"Juggie!" Betty giggles. "I'm driving!"

A deep groan emits from behind before Jughead can form a return to her scolding.

"Guys...I'm too hungry to be the third, fourth, fifth, and six wheel right now. Ronnie did promise breakfast and that's honestly what I'm really here for."

"Dude, I saw you inhale two waffles at my place. Don't confuse pining for starvation." Jughead secures an elbow above the seat peering to the back. "The second row's not too bad, once we throw some bodies in the back it'll be a real party."

Archie lunges forward in a mock attack. "Enjoy the throne while it lasts bro. Ronnie is gonna throw you in the back with _me,_ once she gets in."

Jughead scowls and prepares a fire back to that _ridiculous_ idea until a familiar " _DING"_ sounds from the console below. Betty's attention is immediately drawn and her hand slips from the wheel to pass Jughead her phone.

"Juggie can you check that for me? It's probably Veronica."

"Sure," he complies clicking the screen on to check the message.

He's not entirely sure what to make of it when it appears.

"Um…She wrote ' _girl, bombshell in the bag, but worst scenario is_ -"

Archie's laughter interrupts his attempted reading.

Betty jerks the car at what Jughead hopes, is a legal stop.

"Wait – Archie shush! – what did she say about a scenario," Betty asks.

Jughead glances to the phone before continuing. "She said worst scenario is- and I quote – ' _a hellish shit storm of daddy's bright idea.'_ And then _'operation changed from meetup to breakout_.'"

Betty moans leaning towards the wheel. "God, nothing is going to be easy today is it? Okay, Jug. Text her that we're getting Kevin, right now, and then we'll be on our way."

He sighs already typing Betty's request. "With our luck, we can hardly organize a normal Pop's meet up, it's kind of expected that your road trip kidnapping wouldn't exactly go smoothly with a simple meetup."

"Wait, hold on, I know we're doing the road trip," Archie butts in with his head over the center console, and Jughead almost pities the sad confusion written on his friend's face. "I thought Ronnie said we were doing breakfast _first_?"

Jughead responds by dipping into the seat, as the first probable road bump of their trip sits as an empty lump of hunger in his stomach.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Oh my GOD. I finally FINISHED THIS CHAPTER. Hope it was worth the wait, after this we are gonna be hitting the GAS! The adventure is really gonna begin! I've got TONS of fun stuff planned as well as a playlist of music that's waiting to be forced into chapter titles!

Updates should come a bit more regularly now! Let me know what you all thought about this chapter and I'd love to know the thoughts on the song choices too!  
3


End file.
